


all roads lead to you

by symphony7inAmajor



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Love Confessions, M/M, See notes for warnings, Temporary Character Death, again kind of, kind of, universe jumping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 17:02:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17532722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/symphony7inAmajor/pseuds/symphony7inAmajor
Summary: Some nights, JT wakes up in other worlds.Usually, he wakes up in worlds where the differences are glaringly obvious, and only learning what not to do keeps him from potentially affecting things that probably shouldn’t change.Like, for instance. All the times he wakes up with Tyson.(The Universe tries to tell JT Compher to notice the obvious. It takes a while.)





	all roads lead to you

**Author's Note:**

> so i've been writing this for a while and let me say i did not expect it to get this long?? like. 33 pages. okay. 
> 
> anyway this is like the first thing i've really properly written so i'm a little nervous... please let me know your thoughts. didn't have anyone read this/edit it so about the only thing i'm confident about is the grammar and spelling
> 
> hopefully i did okay with this concept, which is basically "universe sends jt to parallel universes until he gets a clue and the longer it takes the more dangerous the universes get." yeah i read too many YA novels in my formative years and what about it
> 
> ALSO i gave it the M rating for violence/death so if you're worried about that please see the end notes!!

Some nights, JT wakes up in other worlds.

Not, like, alien planets (okay, except for that one time, but that was _once_ ). Sometimes he hardly notices the difference between the others and his own, the only signs being the furniture or the clothes in his closet. Those are the easy ones, when he can get up and know what’s expected of him, what he’s supposed to do until he gets back to his own universe.

Usually, that’s not what happens. 

Usually, JT wakes up in worlds where the differences are glaringly obvious, and only a long time of learning what not to do keeps him from potentially affecting things that probably shouldn’t change. 

Like, for instance. All the times he wakes up with Tyson. 

That’s the other thing. Every universe, no matter how much else changes, has the same fixed point, and that fixed point is Tyson. JT’s long since given up trying to figure out _why_ , and tries instead to avoid projecting the way _other_ Tysons act onto _his_ Tyson. That’s hard to do when most of the beds JT wakes up in have Tyson in them too.

 

\---

 

The first time it happened, JT thought it was just a really realistic dream. After all, JT thinks about Tyson a lot and usually in ways probably not considered very _bros_ , so dreaming about it wasn’t exactly too far outside the realm of possibility. JT had woken up in what looked like his room, but after about two seconds, he’d noticed he wasn’t alone. Looking over, he’d seen Tyson lying a few inches away from him, one hand stretched out and resting right on top of JT’s heart.

A few more seconds after that, JT had realized they were both completely naked and proceeded to panic just a little bit. Luckily, the shower was still in the same place, so it was easy to hide there for his freakout. Tyson had still been asleep when he’d gone back into the room to grab some clothes.

Alexander was already sitting at the table eating breakfast when JT went into the kitchen. He mumbled a half hearted “good morning,” to JT before going back to his toast. So. Maybe he hadn’t noticed Tyson spending the night in JT’s room? That seemed like the only plausible explanation. JT squinted at Alexander for a long moment. Alexander seemed to notice that JT wasn’t moving or speaking, because he looked up again and blinked slowly.

“Uh,” Alexander said. “You okay, man?”

“Did we go out last night?” JT blurted. He kicked himself mentally, because, like, what kind of question was _that_.

Alexander frowned at him. “No,” he said slowly. “We came back here after the game and crashed. Did you get hit in the head? Should I call the trainers?” His hand was creeping towards his phone.

“No!” JT said. “No, nevermind, must’ve been like. Weird dreams.”

Alexander “hmm”’ed but let it go.

And that-that tracked with what JT _had_ done the night before, besides going to bed with Tyson. Nothing was making sense. He was making scrambled eggs, viciously poking them with a spatula, when he heard footsteps coming into the room. He turned around to look at Tyson, who gave him a sleepy smile. Despite the confusion of the last half hour, JT felt himself soften anyway. Because, like. It was Tyson, who JT was maybe-probably in love with, and he looked soft and warm, wearing one of JT’s hoodies, and-oh _shit_ there was a hickey just visible above his collar, and it was fresh looking enough that it couldn’t have been put there longer than a day ago.

JT looked at Alexander, who had also looked up when Tyson had come in, but Alexander just said, “morning,” before going back to whoever he was texting. That was weird. Alexander was usually pretty observant and there’s _no way_ he missed that hickey, so _what_ was going on?

JT had about five seconds to think about that before Tyson came over and wrapped his arms around JT’s waist

“Good morning.” Tyson’s voice was muffled in JT’s shirt. JT awkwardly rubbed Tyson’s shoulder. Alexander didn’t even look up from his phone and like. Maybe JT and Tyson were a little touchy-feely but not hugging-each-other-in-the-morning-over-breakfast kind of touchy-feely. “Hmm,” Tyson said. JT thought for one wild second that Tyson was also noticing something not right before Tyson said, “Your eggs are going to burn.”

JT managed to salvage the eggs and scooped them onto two plates. That was weird, too. Usually he didn’t make extra food without being asked, especially because Tyson tended to do the cooking. JT ate as slowly as he could without being suspicious. Alexander and Tyson talked about something to do with a new movie they wanted to go see, but he tried to think of explanations for the whole. Well. Everything. Maybe it was just a prank? But he couldn’t think how he could’ve been stripped of his pants without waking up, not to mention Tyson getting in his bed. And, like, what would the point be? JT had zero clues.

Tyson got up to put his dishes away, but stopped by JT before leaving the room. Tyson poked him in the forehead and he flinched, startled. “Frowny,” Tyson said, then leaned down and kissed him right between the eyes. He straightened up and smiled before leaving the kitchen. JT stared after him. Alexander hadn’t even _blinked_.

JT wished he could take the day off, but practice wasn’t optional that morning, so he’d driven in with Alexander and Tyson. That was easy-hockey was hockey. The team wasn’t acting any different, and neither were the coaches. If it was a prank, it felt like nobody knew. After all, his team was full of the worst actors he’d ever met. No chance they could pull off something big without giving it away.

After practice, when everyone was back in the locker room getting dressed and shooting the shit, Nate passed JT and Tyson at their lockers. _Of course_ , the first thing he noticed was the bruise on Tyson’s neck. Nate poked it right in the middle and laughed. Tyson just rolled his eyes as if it was nothing new. Then, inexplicably, Nate looked right at JT and said, “Getting a little feisty, huh Comphy?” He laughed again and moved on.

“Sure,” JT said, but his mouth was dry. It didn’t feel like a prank anymore.

Alexander waved off JT’s invitation to lunch, citing vague plans instead. Which meant JT would have to be alone with Tyson for the first time since he’d woken up.

JT could feel Tyson watching him in the car while he drove them to a decent sandwich place on the way back to the house, but neither of them said anything. Tyson ordered the food for them to go. That was unusual. Normally, they sat at the small corner table and stayed for probably too long.

They didn’t talk on the ride back to the house either.

That changed when they got back.

The second the door closed behind them, Tyson turned to look at JT. He looked upset and confused at the same time.

“Are you okay?” Tyson asked. “You’ve been acting weird all day, and I don’t know why. Was it me? Did I do something?” JT opened his mouth to deny it, but it was pointless. “Don’t even.” Tyson scowled. “I know something’s up with you, just tell me what it is!”

JT sighed. Clearly, Tyson was going to be stubborn about it. “Okay, but it’s going to sound crazy.” Tyson raised an eyebrow and sat on the couch. He patted the cushion next to him and tilted his head in invitation. JT sat next to him, and for a moment he didn’t say anything.

“Last night, I went to bed by myself,” he started. He heard Tyson start to say something, so he held up a hand. “I was _by myself_ ,” he repeated. “And I was wearing pants. Then I woke up this morning, and you were there, and I was naked, and like. You have a hickey.” Tyson self-consciously rubbed at his neck. “I don’t get it! I’ve never even kissed you and suddenly I’m waking up with you like-like we’re together? It doesn’t make sense! I thought it was some kind of prank at first, when Alexander didn’t act weird, but the whole team didn’t even care and-” JT stopped when Tyson put a hand on his arm. Tyson was staring at him with alarm.

“JT,” he said carefully. “Do I need to call a doctor?”

JT groaned and dropped his head in his hands. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you,” he said into his hands. “Knew you’d think I’m crazy. But I _promise_ , everything I told you is true.” He looked back at Tyson, hoping that Tyson believed him.

“Oh,” Tyson said. He pulled his hand back. “So you’re not-not my JT then. You’re telling the truth.” It wasn’t a question, but JT nodded anyway.

“I would never lie about this, Tys.” Feeling brave, JT reached out and took Tyson’s hand. “I hope you get your JT back and I go back to my world, but. I guess I’m in love with you in more than one universe.” Tyson snorted and wiped his free hand over his eyes.

“Idiot,” he said. “Just told me you’ve never even kissed your Tyson now you’re telling me you’re in love with. Well. Me?”

“Sorry.” JT blushed. “Easier to tell you when you already know it.” Tyson rolled his eyes, but leaned in to hug him anyway.

“As much as I want to,” Tyson said, “I’m not going to kiss you. Promise you’ll save it for your Tyson.” JT tried not to look to crestfallen and failed, judging by Tyson’s laugh, but he nodded anyway. “Sorry buddy,” Tyson said. “Also, I’m not cheating on you with _you_.”

The day was easier after that. JT almost forgot he was supposed to be dating Tyson until it was time to go to bed. He went into his room to see Tyson already in his bed. “Sorry,” Tyson whispered. “I can sleep in the guest room if you want.”

“No, that’s okay. Guess this is your room, technically, so. I can take the guest room.” JT turned to go, but Tyson stopped him with a quiet, “wait.”

“You can sleep here, too.” Tyson tugged the sheets down. “Promise I’m wearing pants this time. And-and if you’re still here tomorrow, Kerfy’ll be suspicious.” Tyson pointed at him. “No funny business!”

“I’d never!” JT stepped back from where he’d been about to get into the bed.

“I know.” Tyson sounded sleepy. “I trust you.”

JT had taken a long time to fall asleep that night. He woke up the next morning alone, with no sign that anyone else had been in his bed. He chalked the whole thing up to a dream, but he couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

That was the first time.

 

\---

 

After that, it just kept happening. Not every night, but often enough that JT eventually dropped the idea that they were all just dreams. He stopped telling the _other_ people, usually Tyson or Alexander, that he wasn’t from their universe. He broke his promise to the first _other_ Tyson he’d met, too. Trying to fit into other versions of his life easily seemed to mean being with Tyson more often than not. And Tyson was-well. Affectionate.

JT had been lucky on the first morning. Other Tysons seem to take particular pleasure in kissing him in the mornings, so JT gets used to it. It still hurts, though, to think about it. To know that none of it is really _real_ for him. He never spends longer than the time between waking up and going back to sleep in the other worlds, and JT knows no time passes in his world. He figured that out pretty easily.

He still doesn’t know why he keeps waking up in other universes. Like, he can’t find any answers online because _of course_ it’s not a _thing_. So. Since it doesn’t affect anything in his own universe, he plays along and tries not to let events in other universes change anything about himself in his own life.

Sometimes, that’s harder than it sounds.

Like, for instance. The time he woke up to Tyson giving him a _very_ enthusiastic blowjob and couldn’t look at him without blushing for a week. Alexander had pulled him aside and asked him carefully if he was coming down with something because, “you’re looking pretty feverish, buddy.” JT had sputtered out some bullshit response and gone to hide in his room for an hour.

After the first few months, the universes start to change more dramatically. At first, the changes a noticeable but still relatively insignificant. Maybe the house is different, or Sam lives with them too, or their teammates aren’t all the same. Still, though. JT can handle it for a day.

 

\---

 

That is, until he wakes up alone in an apartment he’s never seen before.

It’s fine. He’s used to waking up in unfamiliar situations, so he grabs the phone on the bedside table and hopes the JT in this universe doesn’t have a different passcode. After a few tries, he unlocks it and googles himself. The results are a shock, like jumping into freezing water. The pictures show him, sure, but. The most recent ones don’t show him in familiar burgundy and blue, though there are a few photos of him in an Avs sweater. Instead, he’s wearing the green and red of the Minnesota Wild.

“What the _fuck_?” JT clicks his Wikipedia page for some kind of explanation

_After the Colorado Avalanche lost in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals to the Calgary Flames in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, JT Compher requested to be traded for undisclosed “personal reasons.” He was traded to the Minnesota Wild on August 20 2019, for Charlie Coyle and a 2020 third-round draft pick._

Below that was just stats, but JT ignores them. _Requested_ a trade? That makes no sense. He loves the Avalanche, his teammates-oh. His teammates.

The Wild roster looks the same as always, besides JT’s name being there instead of Coyle’s. No sign of Tyson.

The Avalanche roster, on the other hand _. T. Jost, #17_. For a second, JT thinks about calling him. Surely he still has Tyson’s number. Something stops him, though, and instead he looks up videos about his trade.

There’s Landy, first in what seems to be some kind of montage of his teammates being interviewed about JT.

“I hope that he likes it in Minnesota,” Landy says. “They’ve got a good group of guys there and hopefully he does well.” And mostly the same media answers from the rest of them. That is, until they get to Tyson.

“Tyson, you and JT were obviously very good friends and were roommates during your first couple season with the Avalanche. Do you know why he asked for a trade?” A few recording devices hover just inside the frame.

Tyson blinks, slowly, before answering. “I’d rather not say,” Tyson says. His face is flushed in a way that could be waved off as postgame exertion, but. Looking at the tilt of Tyson’s mouth, the set of his shoulders-Tyson is _furious_. JT feels sick. What he could have done in this universe to make Tyson so upset-to ask to be _traded_ -JT has no idea.

JT snaps out of his musings when his phone buzzes in his hand. Irrationally, he hopes it’s Tyson, or at least Alexander, but when he checks his texts, there’s only a message from someone under the name “Luke.”

_coming 2 pick u up for skate be ready in 20_

_the game will b fine don’t stress bro_

_if johnson tries 2 fight u i promise i will totally defend u_

And, okay. JT’s not stupid enough _not_ to realize that the game “Luke” is referring to is obviously against the Avs, and from the sound of it, his first one since the trade. But that’s fine. He can go to practice, he can skate, he can ignore the guys who are, in this world at least, his ex-teammates. It’ll be fine.

It’s not fine.

Well. The Luke who comes to pick him up is Luke Kunin, who seems to be great friends with JT. JT pulls on a practice jersey that’s the wrong color, talks with the wrong guys and goes out to skate on the wrong ice.

But practice doesn’t matter. Practice is easy. Luke drives him back to his apartment after and JT watches tape of the Wild from the last few games instead of taking a nap.

Luke picks him up again before the game and they go to the locker room to change. Luke doesn’t ask him about the game, or about the Avalanche, and neither does anyone else. JT’s grateful for that, because he still has _no idea_ what could’ve happened. He’d looked through the contacts on the phone, but no sign of any contacts under a familiar name. The falling out must’ve been pretty bad if JT had wanted to delete the contact information for all his old teammates.

JT wishes he could’ve pretended like he had the flu or something this morning, but it’s too late; the team is already filing out of the locker room to get on the ice for warm ups.

The Wild get on the ice first, making it easier for JT to skate around, get a rhythm going. He hopes the JT of this world doesn’t have any new routines, but since nobody looks at him strangely he figures he’s okay.

He’s passing the puck with Luke when the Avalanche skate out.

Luke says, “Hey!” indignantly when JT completely ignores his pass to stare across the ice at the guys who are supposed to be his teammates.

 _29, 96, 92, 6, 49, 13, 17_ -JT tears his eyes away. None of them are looking at him, after all. Besides, it’s just hockey. He’s played hockey in other worlds before. Why should this game be any different?

It’s different.

The Avs are playing hard, chippy hockey right off the opening faceoff. EJ knocks Staal off the puck like he weighs nothing as soon as Staal gets into the Avs zone.

JT’s line goes on during an early commercial break.

Across the ice, Tyson is skating slow, wide circles while waiting for the game to start back up. He still won’t look at JT, and JT’s pretty sure his new team is noticing.

“Jost! How are you planning to win this game when you can’t even look at the other team, huh?” That one comes from the bench. JT doesn’t know who said it, but Tyson’s head snaps up immediately. His eyes are _burning_ behind his visor and he curls his lip in what looks almost like a snarl, completely unlike anything JT’s ever seen from him before.

Tyson looks like he’s about to say something, but Alexander skates over and tells him something before he can. Tyson’s scowl darkens and he levels his gaze at JT. Next to him, Alexander looks pissed, too. He says something else to Tyson before they take position for the faceoff.

Initially, Fehr goes in to take the faceoff against Tyson, but after a whistle JT’s in there instead. JT can almost feel Tyson seething across from him, his face stony but his eyes hot with anger.

“Stay _out_ of my way, Compher,” Tyson spits at him from across the dot.

JT loses the faceoff.

The first shift is a nightmare. The Avs are checking hard, playing dangerous with their sticks, but somehow avoiding taking penalties.

Alexander jabs him in the ribs with the butt of his stick during a scuffle for the puck.

Sam cuts across the backs of his ankles when he tries to get through the neutral zone.

Colin checks him in the open ice, and when he hits the ground, it takes him a second to get up again.

He catches Tyson watching him after that one, but when Tyson notices, he clenches his jaw and looks away.

He comes off the ice at the end of the first period feeling like he’s covered in one massive bruise, with no score to show for any of it.

“Don’t worry,” Parise says. His face is grim. “We’ll get them.”

In the second period, both teams come out playing _mean_ , vicious hockey, and both teams know it isn’t just over the rivalry.

Nate lays a hit on JT; Zucker knocks Sam off his skates. So it goes.

In between shifts, JT practically feels Tyson simmering on the other bench. He can’t stop thinking about what could’ve possibly happened between them, but judging by Tyson’s behaviour, it’s not like he can _ask_.

They go into second intermission still scoreless.

Halfway through the third, Dumba scores on a breakaway. JT can’t help but cheer for him from the bench. They’re technically teammates now, after all.

Two minutes later, Mikko ties the game.

Time winding down in the third, JT skates into the Avalanche zone. He dodges around Nemo, there’s a flurry of desperate activity around the net and suddenly Tyson’s right in front of him.

Tyson hits him in the chest-hard, not playful like he used to ( _does_ , JT has to remind himself).

“What the fuck,” JT says, and he’s mad, too. He’s mad that the _stupid_ universe keeps throwing him into even _stupider_ universes, giving him a taste of things he wants but can’t have and then pulling shit like _this_ , and he doesn’t _know_ why this Tyson hates him, and his anger is burning in his chest.

JT hits him back. 

“Oh, _fuck_ you,” Tyson snarls. “What, Compher, do you want to fucking go?”

And the thing is. The thing is, he actually does.

So he says, “What, think you can take me?” and laughs, cold.

Tyson looks shocked for a split second, then his gloves are on the ice.

JT’s follow.

The crowd roars when Tyson grabs the front of his green jersey, hits him across the jaw with a punch.

So, Tyson’s pissed, but JT’s mad, too, and only one of them actually fights, and it’s decidedly not Tyson.

They hit each other and keep hitting each other, and JT can’t hear the crowd over the rushing in his ears, and his mouth hurts, and his knuckles hurt, then Tyson loses his footing and JT falls on top of him.

Just before the officials pull them apart, JT’s close enough to see that Tyson has tears in his eyes.

They both get sent to their respective locker rooms, not enough time left to make it worth keeping them in the penalty box for their majors while the clock winds down.

JT hears the goal horn in the dying seconds of the game, but can’t feel anything other than exhausted.

 

He’s showered and dressed when the rest of the Wild get back into the room. Despite the win, nobody seems very cheerful. Everyone got pretty beat up out there, and from what JT’s gathered, the game-winner was a flukey goal off a skate blade, so. Nothing to write home about.

He has to wait for Luke to finish getting dressed, because he doesn’t actually know how to get back to his apartment. He just wants to go to sleep and be _home_.

He’s idly scrolling through the camera roll of this phone, trying to see what’s different, when he phone buzzes with a text. The number isn’t recognized as one of his contacts, but-

_come to the visitors room. i’m waiting for you in the hallway_

Okay, so. No way to tell who that is, plus it sounds a little bit dangerous, but if JT gets an explanation for the way everything has been going in this universe, he’s willing to take his chances.

He catches Luke’s eye and says, “I’ll be back soon. Just got a, uh, thing. To take care of.” Luke raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t comment on the vagueness of his statement.

“If you take longer than twenty minutes, I’m leaving you for dead and going home.”

Good enough.

The walk to the visitors’ dressing room doesn’t actually take that long, and he’s almost there when someone grabs his arm and pulls him into an equipment room just off the main hall.

It’s dark enough that he can’t see who grabbed him, and he feels real fear for a second, then the person finds the light switch and he’s staring at Alexander.

“You still have my number?” Alexander looks at him like he’s crazy and yeah, maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say when JT doesn’t know what’s actually going on.

“Uh, yes?” Alexander frowns. “You don’t have mine?”

“None of yours, actually,” JT says. Alexander drags a hand over his face and JT hears a muffled, “for _fuck’s_ sake,” from underneath his hand.

“What,” Alexander says patiently, “did you guys _do_? Josty hasn’t talked to me about it besides telling me you’re a piece of shit since, like, you asked to be traded, you haven’t talked to me since the trade, and you’re not even talking to each other? Tell me what happened!” Alexander looks desperate.

Alexander _doesn’t know?_ That seems unusual. Usually, Tyson can’t keep secrets if his life depended on it. Obviously, this was big enough that even he wouldn’t tell.

“He didn’t tell you _anything_?” JT asks, mind racing. Alexander looks upset, and JT tries to see it from his perspective for the first time. One of his best friends asking for a trade with no explanation, the other best friend and only person who knows _why_ refusing to tell him, getting no contact from his best friend (ex-friend?) until they play each other, and then both his best friends get into a fight on the ice.

“Nothing since it came out that you’d asked for a trade,” Alexander says. “The first night, after you took your shit and just _left_ , he cried himself to sleep on me on the couch.” JT kind of wants to yell that that wasn’t _him_ , that he loves Tyson and would _never_ hurt him like that, but he doesn’t want to mess up this universe any more than it’s already messed up. But Alexander isn’t done yet, and he says, “He said some stuff about how you guys had a fight, but I guess he didn’t think you’d _leave_ over it. Something about how he wanted to play with you for the rest of his career, but you didn’t feel the same, and he said-” Alexander snaps his mouth shut.

“What did he say?” JT asks. Before Alexander even answers, JT feels like he knows.

Alexander sighs. “He told me-he told me he thought you’d figured out that he was in love with you and that you couldn’t deal with it, so you had to leave.” He studies JT’s expression and his face pales. “Oh, shit,” he says. “You didn’t.” JT feels like the floor is sliding out from under his feet. _Did_ he? If the JT in this world _did_ know, and that’s why he left, than JT might fuck it up further by trying to reconcile with Tyson. On the other hand, if he _didn’t_ , and left for some other reason, maybe he could fix it. _Or_ maybe the JT in this universe does hate Tyson now, and he’d be giving Alexander false hope.

JT wishes he’d gotten an easier universe.

He looks at Alexander’s expectant face, thinks about how if he just goes back to his apartment everything would be fine, and like. He can’t do it. He doesn’t know how to really deal with Tyson in his _own_ world; this is too much.

“Sorry,” JT mumbles. “I can’t-I have to go.” Alexander gapes at him, shock, disappointment and anger warring on his face. Then he frowns.

“Whatever.” Alexander looks away. “Fine.” It’s _not_ fine, JT wants to tell him, but he keeps his mouth shut and leaves the room.

And almost walks straight into Tyson. Naturally. Of course.

JT inwardly curses his luck as Tyson registers who he is. Tyson’s got a black eye forming where JT punched him.

“What are _you_ doing here,” says someone from behind Tyson. Sam’s there, scowling pretty ferociously. Tyson looks at him like he’s wondering the same thing.

Alexander steps out of the room behind him and freezes. “Uh,” he says. “Hey guys.” JT winces.

Sam frowns over JT’s shoulder at Alexander and mouths _what are you doing?_ Then he says, “The bus is leaving soon.”

“I was just leaving anyway,” JT says awkwardly.

Tyson rolls his eyes. “Whatever,” he says. “What else is new.”

When they start off down the hallway, JT makes a choice. Doing it may or may not fuck things up further in this world, but he’s sick of being passive.

He reaches out and catches Tyson’s hand.

JT feels him go stiff right away, but before he can get punched again, he says, “I’m sorry.”

Tyson stares at him. Sam and Alexander look first at each other, then at JT, then back at each other. They have matching expressions of shock on their faces, though JT isn’t able to find it funny now. Carefully, he squeezes Tyson’s hand, then he lets go.

“Just wanted you to know.” JT tries to make himself look as earnest as possible. “I really am.” He nods to the guys who should be his friends, then turns and walks away.

 

Luke is leaning against his car when JT gets to the parking lot. “So, not murdered then! Nice!” Luke calls when he sees him.

JT snorts. “Just take me home,” he says. “I need to sleep for, like, a month.”

“For sure.” Luke nods, starting the car. “Like, brutal game right? How many hits did you take? Not counting the punches.”

“Don’t remind me.” JT rubs his sensitive cheekbone. “I’m gonna hurt like a motherfucker tomorrow.” JT won’t be here tomorrow, but Luke doesn’t know that, and presumably the other JT will still have the bruises.

Luke drives off when JT opens his door to the apartment building, leaving him alone.

 

JT gets ready for bed mechanically. He’s brushing his teeth when his phone buzzes with a text alert.

_hey got ur number from kerf_

JT’s toothbrush almost falls out of his mouth.

He finishes up quickly, and when he checks his phone again, there are more messages.

_this is tyson btw_

_jost_  

_obviously_

_i’m still mad but_

_i miss u_

JT feels lightheaded. He taps out a quick, _i miss you too_. 

He turns off the phone before any more texts come in, but he takes a paper and pen and scrawls _FIX THIS_ and leaves it tucked under the phone. He’s not going to trust himself to do the right thing.

He doesn’t remember falling asleep, but he wakes up and he’s _home_ again.

 

\---

 

JT takes a minute to think about that, staring at the ceiling, until he hears voices from the kitchen.

He manages to avoid tripping flat on his face in his mad scramble to get out of bed, manages to pull on sweatpants and tries not to sprint to the kitchen.

Alexander is staring blankly into his coffee mug and eating his toast. Tyson is standing at the stove, supervising his eggs. JT has never been so glad to see anything in his _life_.

Alexander notices him first, gives him a little salute with his toast and says, “about time,” through his mouthful of food.

“Don’t speak with your mouth full,” JT answers automatically, but then Tyson looks over his shoulder and grins at him.

“Thought you were never going to wake up,” Tyson teases.

“Always,” JT says, before realizing maybe that was a bit stupid. Tyson blinks at him. Alexander frowns.

“Ooooh-kay,” Tyson says. Then, “you want eggs?”

 

\---

 

Later that day, Tyson goes out to the store by himself.

JT’s lying on the couch, flipping through different channels on the TV, when Alexander appears out of nowhere to lean over the back of the couch right above him. JT almost falls off the couch.

“What!” he demands, trying to retain some dignity.

“You’ve been universe hopping, huh.” Alexander looks smug.

“What--how the fuck could you know that?” JT scrambles to sit up and Alexander takes the opportunity to jump onto the couch to face him properly.

“Seen it before,” he says, matter-of-factly.

“No way,” JT says.

“Harvard,” Alexander says, like that means anything.

“Uh, so does everyone just do whatever this is at Harvard?”

“Of course not.” Alexander rolls his eyes. “Teammate.”

“Who?” JT’s never heard of anyone like him before, even after spending hours on the Internet trying to find something.

“None of your business,” Alexander says snottily. JT kicks his leg. “Ouch. Okay, he told us he wanted it to be a secret once we figured out how to stop it.”

“So, how’d he stop it then?” JT asks. He leans forward in anticipation. Alexander raises an eyebrow until he sits back again.

“He had to, like,” Alexander waves his hands around, “figure out what the universe was telling him.” He squints at JT. “What’s the universe telling you?”

“No idea,” JT says. “Last night I was playing for the Wild.” He explains what happened, leaving out only what Other Alexander had said about Other Tyson being in love with him. It’s not important.

“Hmm.” Alexander strokes his chin. “You think the universe is telling you to leave the Avs?”

“What? No!” The thought of wanting to leave, _especially_ after having experienced it, is unfathomable. “Plus, that’s the first time I’ve been on another NHL team.”

“But you’ve been on other hockey teams.” It’s not a question, but JT nods anyway.

“Some nights I’m still a college student,” he says.

“What’s the craziest place you’ve been?” Alexander asks out of the blue.

JT glares. “Is that really important?” Alexander shrugs. “Well, I guess… one time I was on Mars.”

“No shit!” Alexander actually looks impressed.

“Yeah, we were building a colony,” JT tells him.

Mars was the only time he’s ever been on another world. He isn't going to tell Alexander, but. It was terrifying. The sky was the wrong color, and everything was red ("Just like your hair," Tyson had teased). Some nights when he doesn’t travel, he has nightmares about the sandstorm he heard howling outside when he was curled up in the shelter with Tyson, only in those he’s alone.

“Wait,” Alexander says, snapping him out of his memories of Mars. “We?”

“Yeah, like, the crew?” In that universe, it had just been Tyson from his universe. “And Josty, I guess. He shows up a lot, too.”

Alexander’s face does something complicated, but before he says anything, Tyson opens the door.

“Hey, what’s going on? Roomie meeting?” Tyson smiles at JT, but heads off to his room with his bag instead of waiting for an answer.

Alexander stands up, then says one last thing to JT. “My teammate, the guy who universe hopped? He told us the universes got harder the longer it took for him to understand what was going on. Like, dangerous. And, JT-if you die in another universe, will you wake up?”

“I don’t know.” JT’s never thought about it before. Alexander is pale.

“You tell me,” he says. “You tell me or Josty if you think you’re going to be in danger and we’ll keep you awake until we can fix it.”

“He doesn’t know.” Alexander looks surprised. “Please don’t tell him. I don’t want him looking at me differently.” JT cuts Alexander off when he starts to object. “I promise I’ll tell him if I need to. But right now, I’m fine. And you can’t tell him either.”

Alexander seems unsatisfied, but he nods anyway. “Deal,” he says. “We can try figuring out solutions tomorrow and he’ll never need to know.”

 

\---

 

The first thing JT notices when he wakes up is that Tyson is lying almost on top of him. The second thing is that they both seem to be fully dressed-like, boots and everything. The third, and most pressing, is that his back hurts.

“Yeah,” Tyson mumbles from somewhere near his armpit. “That’s what happens when you lie on a root all night.”

Instead of answering, JT sits up, dumping Tyson unceremoniously off his chest and onto the ground.

“Ouch,” Tyson says.

Sitting up, without Tyson’s warmth against him, JT notices the chill of a breeze. They’re outside, without any shelter. There are other people around, most huddled on the ground like he just was, but he sees a fire burning in the center of the clearing the makeshift camp is in. Beside the fire is a tall figure that looks like EJ, as well as a shorter person who’s probably Sam.

JT looks at Tyson, who looks like he’s trying to go back to sleep, and says, “I’m going to the fire. You good here?” Tyson waves a hand around until he can grab the front of JT’s jacket, then drags him down for a kiss.

“Mm, will be now,” he says smugly. JT rolls his eyes, but kisses him once more for good measure.

What, it isn’t like he can kiss his own Tyson. He’ll take what he can get.

As he approaches the fire, he can hear what sounds like EJ giving cooking instructions to Sam.

“We may have limited edible food out here,” EJ’s saying, “but you’re going to learn how to cook all of it.” He pauses. “That way, when the drones get me--”

“Oh, tais-toi,” Sam says crossly. “Drones won’t get you. You’re too tall. They’ll just think you’re a tree and keep flying.”

EJ makes an insulted noise, but greets JT instead of taking the bait.

“Only two more days to go, kids,” EJ says cheerfully. “Excited?”

“For sure.” That seems like a safe answer. Then, to steer the conversation into territory he’s not totally unfamiliar with, he says, “So, what’s breakfast?”

While EJ launches into some monologue about rabbit stew, JT categorizes what he knows about this universe.

He, and what looks like most of the team, seem to be on a journey. Probably dangerous, if they have to wear all their clothes just to sleep. Definitely dangerous, JT amends when Sam leans over the pot a little more and a handgun, tucked into his belt, comes into view. And the drones-must be some kind of enemy they’re running from, and running to… somewhere.

Gabe comes over while they’re eating Sam’s attempt at stew. His face is uncharacteristically serious.

“Eat quick,” he says. He looks up at the sky, but there’s nothing there. “We’ve already been here too long.” EJ nods.

“Finish up, boys. It’s a long walk still to go.”

They pack up ten minutes later. The remains of the fire are covered in dirt and all footprints swept away. It’s like they were never there.

They walk through the woods in near-silence. Occasionally, Gabe and Nate pull out a map to determine the best way to go.

The sun is setting when Mikko freezes. He holds up a hand and everyone else stops and looks at him. Slowly, slowly, he reaches up with one hand, taps his ear, then points to the sky.

Gabe’s face goes white.

Then JT hears it: a soft humming sound, getting louder by the second.

“Gabe,” Older Tyson hisses. “Nearest safe spot?”

“Yeah,” he says, swallows hard. He looks at the map for five seconds, then looks at the team, before he says, “we’re going to have to run.”

They run.

JT takes back everything he said about Mars. He _wishes_ he were in the sandstorm right now, rather than sprinting blind through the trees being chased by an enemy he can’t even see but probably wants to kill him.

The hum feels like it’s everywhere.

That’s when the first bullet streaks over his shoulder and right through a tree.

JT shrieks, a little bit.

Tyson grabs his hand and pulls him along. “Run faster,” he gasps. “We’re almost there.”

“How do you _know_?” JT demands hysterically. Tyson doesn’t answer. More bullets streak by. Somehow, none of them hit him.

Then, the ground falls away and they’re falling too. JT hits the water hard, but Nate pulls him and Tyson behind a waterfall and into a hidden tunnel. Most of the guys are there already.

“Who didn’t make it?” Gabe asks, just loud enough to be heard over the rush of water.

“Sven got taken down,” Alexander says. A few guys mutter curses.

“We’ll stay here until we’re sure it’s gone,” Gabe finally says. “It’s not safe out-”

“JT?” Tyson’s voice is small.

JT turns around to look at him and almost throws up at the sight. Tyson is standing upright, but he’s got one hand out in front of him and it’s covered in blood.

“Oh, _no_ ,” Alexander chokes out.

Tyson presses his bloody hand to his abdomen. “I think,” he says faintly, then stops, frowns. “I can’t feel my fingers.” His legs buckle.

JT manages to catch him before he hits the ground, then holds Tyson close to his chest as he lays him on the ground.

“Hey, _hey_ , Tys, look at me,” JT begs. Fuck _Mars_ ; this will give him nightmares until he dies. He takes Tyson’s bloody hand in his. This can’t be happening. Nobody’s ever _died_ in his universe jumps.

“JT.” Tyson’s eyes are wide and scared. “I don’t wanna die,” he says. He coughs.

“You’re not going to die,” JT tells him, but he knows he’s lying, and he knows Tyson knows he’s lying.

He wants to wake up.

“Kerfy.” Tyson turns his head with difficulty to look at their friend.

“I’m here,” Alexander says, muffling a sob behind his hand.

“You look after him for me, okay? You _promise_ ,” Tyson says desperately. JT can tell it’s taking everything in him to speak.

“Yeah, Tyson. Yeah, I promise.” Alexander’s voice cracks.

“Good,” Tyson sighs. JT cups his cheek in a bloody hand so Tyson can see his face before-before- “I love you,” Tyson says. He smiles, wobbly and weak. JT tries to smile back, if only to reassure him, but it feels more like a grimace.

“I love you too,” JT says, wishing this wasn’t the first time he could say it, and now he can feel himself crying. Not just for himself, because he knows, objectively, that his Tyson is safe and sound at home, but for this world, that’s losing him, for their friends, for the JT who will wake up tomorrow and not remember Tyson dying. JT shouldn’t _be here_.

“S’okay,” Tyson slurs. His eyelids are sliding shut. “You’ll be alright.” Tyson takes one more breath, exhales, then-nothing.

“Tyson,” JT says tentatively, then again, more frantically, “Tyson?” He shakes Tyson’s shoulder carefully, but he doesn’t respond. He presses his fingers to the side of Tyson’s neck-nothing.

“ _No_ , no no no, this _can’t_ be happening, you _can’t_ ,” JT cries.

“He’s gone, JT,” Gabe says numbly.

“Shut _up_ ,” JT snarls, then lets himself sob. He presses his lips to Tyson’s forehead, cold and clammy from the water.

Distantly, he hears Nate say something like, “Just do it. Drones will hear him and this isn’t helping.”

JT hears someone walking towards him and looks up. EJ’s standing over him, holding a syringe.

“I’m sorry,” EJ says, then presses the needle into his neck.

 _Oh_ , JT thinks as his vision starts to fade. _They’re knocking me out._

 

\---

 

JT’s room is dark when he snaps awake. His bedside clock reads _4:46_. It isn’t cold in his room, but he’s shivering. He lies down and tries to go back to sleep, but he can’t stop _thinking_.

He gets up to get a glass of water, but instead ends up in front of Tyson’s door.

 _Just open it_ , part of him thinks. But. Another, treacherous part of him thinks, _what if you open the door and he’s not there? What if you open the door and he’s-_ an image of Tyson, bloodied and pale, appears in his mind. He shoves it away and takes the doorknob. The door swings open easily.

Tyson is there. He’s _fine_ , his blankets drawn up to his chin and his curls are a mess from lying on them.

JT should go. He’s seen enough that he knows Tyson is okay, so he can go back to bed and sleep, no problem.

Instead, he ends up sitting on the edge of Tyson’s bed. He nudges Tyson’s shoulder carefully.

“Hey,” he whispers. “Tys, wake up.”

Tyson grumbles and his face scrunches up in a way that JT definitely should _not_ find adorable, but does anyway. He blinks up at JT, then frowns.

“JT?” His mouth sounds like it’s full of cotton. “Time’s it?” Then he notices JT’s face, and the fact that his hands can’t stop trembling. That wakes him up. “JT,” he says, sitting up. “Are you okay?”

“Sorry,” JT says and curses inwardly as his voice wobbles. “Bad dream. I shouldn’t have-sorry for waking you up.” He makes to go back to his own room, but Tyson catches his arm and tugs him back down.

“It’s okay,” Tyson says. He rubs JT’s arm comfortingly. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“No,” JT says, probably too fast. “Not that I don’t want to tell you,” JT adds when Tyson’s face falls. “It’s just--I kind of don’t want to think about it right now.” Humiliatingly, his voice cracks and he feels tears sting at his eyes. JT stares hard at the sheets.

“Oh.” Tyson sounds surprised. “Hey,” he says, and pulls JT into a hug.

Considering the last time he held Tyson in his arms, Tyson _died_ , so holding him with only JT’s thin shirt between JT and Tyson’s warm, _dry_ skin, is better comfort than anything else could be.

Unwillingly, he lets out a shaky sob and hides his face in Tyson’s shoulder. JT expects Tyson to be grossed out by JT crying on his bare shoulder, but Tyson just holds onto him, rubbing a hand over his back or through the short hairs on the back of his neck until he’s all cried out.

“Sorry,” JT says again when he’s done crying, but he doesn’t let go of Tyson and Tyson doesn’t move either.

“You can stay,” Tyson says unexpectedly. JT pulls back and blinks at him. It’s hard to tell in the dark, but he thinks Tyson’s blushing. “Um, I mean. If you’d feel better?”

“Yeah,” JT agrees, even though he knows it’s a mistake. “Please.”

Tyson’s sheets are still warm when JT pulls them up. He lies down next to Tyson without saying anything.

As much as he wishes he could relax and go back to sleep, JT can’t help imagining what would happen if he went to sleep and woke up back in the waterfall cave. Granted, he’s never been to the same universe twice, but he’s also never had to go back to sleep in the same night before.

Tyson seems to sense that something isn’t right, probably because JT’s laying perfectly still and stiff as a board.

“Ugh.” Tyson shifts behind him, then throws an arm over JT’s waist. JT almost falls off the bed.

“Tyson,” he says carefully. “What are you doing.”

“Shh.” Tyson brings his hand up to JT’s face and taps his lips with his index finger. “Just let it happen. Sleep now.”

JT sighs. With Tyson warm and solid behind him, the horror of the waterfall cave feels like nothing more than a dream. And he is really very tired.

He drifts off between one thought and the next.

 

\---

 

For a moment, JT thinks he's changed universes again when he wakes up with Tyson lying half on top of him, until he remembers what happened last night.

He doesn't think Tyson will be mad at him, since Tyson was the one who said he should stay, but. Tyson doesn't know how JT feels about him. If he did, there's no way he would've let JT sleep with him.

Awkwardly, JT slides out from underneath Tyson and quietly leaves the room. It feels shockingly like the first time he universe hopped, only this time it's his world.

Alexander is already up and eating breakfast. When JT walks into the kitchen, his eyebrows go up in a way that doesn't look comfortable or natural.

“Something you wanna tell me, bud?” he asks.

JT shrugs. “You were right.” He slumps into the chair across from Alexander.

Alexander frowns, leans forward. “JT,” he says. “What happened last night?”

So, JT explains the situation in the drone-universe as well as he knows, then tells Alexander how they were found by one and he almost got shot, then how the other Tyson died. He leaves out the part about Tyson telling JT he loved him. If that universe is running parallel, the other JT has probably woken up with no memory of it by now.

When he finishes, Alexander looks like he might be sick.

“That’s. _Jesus_ , JT.” Alexander shakes his head. “What if it gets worse?”

“Can’t imagine what could be worse than that,” JT admits, and he’s telling the truth.

“Do you think something in that world might be a hint at what,” Alexander waves his hands around, “the universe is trying to tell you?”

JT takes a deep breath. At this point, he figures it can’t be worse to tell Alexander that he’s in love with Tyson than to wake up to watch Tyson die again. “I think so,” he says. “I--”

The sound of Tyson’s door opening cuts him off, but something must show on JT’s face, because Alexander looks stunned.

“Oh my God,” he hisses. “ _Him_?” 

JT can only look at him helplessly as Tyson walks into the kitchen.

“We’ll finish this later.” Alexander points his fork at JT threateningly, then leaves the kitchen.

“Um.” Tyson fidgets awkwardly. “Sorry for interrupting?”

“It’s okay,” JT says. “It wasn’t important anyway.”

Tyson doesn’t really look convinced, but he drops it.

The silence while Tyson makes his breakfast is uncomfortable.  JT opens his mouth to say something, but changes his mind at the last second.

“If you’ve got something to say--” Tyson starts, turning away from the coffeemaker.

“We’re okay, right?” JT interrupts. “Like, last night.” Tyson looks uncertain, so JT adds, “I don’t want things to be weird between us.”

“Oh, sure,” Tyson says. “It’s--it’s fine.” He turns back to the coffeemaker and pours himself a cup. The back of Tyson’s neck is flushed.

“I didn’t mean to put you in an uncomfortable situation,” JT says. “If you’re not okay with it--”

“It’s fine!” Tyson blurts. He softens. “I promise it’s okay.” He pours a second cup of coffee and sets it in front of JT. “If you change your mind and decide you want to talk about it, you can talk to me, okay?” Tyson squeezes JT’s shoulder before going to make some toast.

“Thanks, Tys,” JT says. He sips his coffee; just the way he likes it. “You’re a good friend.”

Tyson’s shoulders droop, just a bit. “Yeah,” he agrees. “Best friends, right?” He mutters something else, but JT can’t make it out. He wonders… no. Best not to think like that.

 

\---

 

JT doesn’t get to talk to Alexander for the rest of the day. Tyson always seems to be around, then Alexander goes to bed early.

Lying in bed, staring at the dark space where his ceiling is, JT wonders if he could just. Not go to sleep. Unfortunately, while he doesn’t have a game tomorrow, he does have to go to practice, which, on no sleep, would be a nightmare. JT rubs his eyes and tries to get comfortable.

 

\---

 

This time, he’s shaken awake in an abandoned church. Tyson has a hand cupped over his mouth to keep him from making any noise when he wakes up. JT nods jerkily when they make eye contact, and Tyson removes his hand, jerks his head toward the back of the building.

When JT gets up, Tyson presses a machete, as well as a bow and quiver of arrows that look like they were taken from a hunting store, into his hands. Tyson has identical ones.

In sock feet, they move soundlessly to a small side door. On the mat, Tyson slips his boots on, so JT does the same.

“On three,” Tyson says, barely louder than a breath, “run for the trees. Ready?”

JT has no idea what to be ready _for_ , but he nods anyway. They draw their machetes.

“One.” Tyson closes a hand around the doorknob.

“Two.” He turns it, slowly.

“ _Three_.” Tyson pulls the door open, and then they’re running. For a second, JT doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary. The church seems to be on the side of a road, set in a grassy field with trees about half a mile away on three sides.

Then he sees a figure shamble around from the front of the church. It looks like a man, but. Not. Something that used to be a man, maybe. It hobbles forward, reaches with grasping hands even though Tyson and JT aren’t even close to being within reach.

JT feels his blood run cold and the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He turns away from the thing and runs _away_ as fast as he can. Tyson is sprinting just ahead.

They break through the treeline and slow down before coming to a stop in a small clearing by a stream.

“Fuck,” Tyson snarls. “ _Fuck_.” He kicks a tree furiously.

“Hey,” JT says tentatively. “Was that--” _someone we knew_ , he’s going to finish, but Tyson finishes for him.

“Kerf,” he says bitterly. He wipes his eyes, lets out a shuddery exhale. “I really thought… figured they’d have a chance and meet us at the church, you know? I guess they did. Just not….” Tyson trails off. 

“Some of them might’ve got away,” JT ventures. Hopefully he’s not making himself sound totally crazy.

“We can’t wait, even if they did,” Tyson says, even though he looks like he wants to go back. “But.” He sighs. “Come on.” 

They make their way back towards the church. The thing that used to be Alexander is shuffling by the treeline, making snuffling noises and moaning in the way JT’s used to hearing in shitty horror movies.

This close, JT can see that the thing is missing a shoe, the sock soaked with something brown. Its skin is grayish, its eyes empty. 

“Alexander,” Tyson calls softly.

The thing turns, moans frantically. As it hobbles toward them, JT can see the mess of its torso, like something--like _something had been at it_.

JT throws up.

There’s a _swish_ and a _thump_ , then Tyson is pulling JT away. 

“Sorry,” JT gasps.

“It’s okay,” Tyson says. His voice is strained, and when JT looks at his face, he’s almost as gray as the dead thing he just killed. 

 

The rest of the day feels like it could just be a normal off day, one they could be spending hiking in the mountains, except for the weapons they carry and the way they both freeze at the slightest noise.

They get lucky, finally, find an empty hunting cabin far from anything. Tyson locks the door and shutters the windows. JT drags a heavy wooden chest in front of the door for good measure.

They eat salted meat and dried fruit for dinner. Their gear and weapons are placed within arm’s reach of the one bed, “just in case,” Tyson had said. The cabin seems to have a well, because the running water still works. Tyson fills up their bottles and they take turns scrubbing off the worst of their grime.

“We could just stay here,” Tyson murmurs, well past sunset, when they’re both almost asleep. “Good woods for hunting, fresh water, lake’s not too far. Could fish."

“Mmm.” JT presses his lips to the back of Tyson’s neck and tugs him closer. “Ask me again in the morning.”

 

\---

 

In the morning, JT’s home again. He almost bumps into Alexander, who’s leaving the kitchen. JT’s struck by the memory of the way Alexander had looked in the other world and stumbles back a step.

“Whoa,” Alexander says. “After practice, okay? We’re talking.”

“Yep,” JT squeaks. He sidles past Alexander, keeping an eye on him like he might transform into a zombie right then and there.

“Until then, please try to keep it together,” Alexander advises before he goes back to his room.

“Easy for you to say,” JT mutters to the closed door.

 

\---

 

After practice, JT sees Alexander say something to Sam involving some unsubtle gestures towards Tyson and JT. Sam rolls his eyes, but nods. Alexander disappears into the showers, and Sam walks over to Tyson’s stall.

Sam looks at JT first, in a _you owe me_ kind of way, then turns to Tyson.

“Josty,” he says. “Do you want to,” he pauses. Clearly he and Alexander hadn’t thought of a plan to get Tyson out of the house. “Come with me to the mall? I’m looking for a new video game and I thought you could help!” He beams.

Tyson blinks. “Uh, sure? Now?”

“Yes,” Sam says. “I can drive you home later!”

Tyson glances at JT, who shrugs. “Okay, sure,” Tyson says.

JT tries not to look too relieved.

 

\---

 

“So,” Alexander says, the second the door closes behind them. “You think the universe is trying to tell you something about Tyson?”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” JT admits. “Every universe is different, but they all have Tyson, and we’re always--” he stops and feels his face warm.

“Oh my God,” Alexander says. “Don’t tell me you’ve fucked other universes’ Tysons.”

“Er.” JT blushes harder.

“Oh my _God_ ,” Alexander repeats. “Really?”

“Once!” JT cries. “And it wasn’t my fault! I was sleeping when-” 

“I’m gonna need you to stop, like, right there, unless you want to pay me for this,” Alexander interrupts. “Seriously. I don’t want to know.” JT closes his mouth. “Okay. So you guys are, what. Dating?”

“I guess,” JT says. “I mean, at first that’s how it felt. Mostly like this universe but we’d be together. But recently it’s been getting worse, right? Last night, I was in some kind of zombie apocalypse world. Before that it was the drone one, then we were on different teams and that universe’s you told me I’d asked for a trade because I knew Tys was in love with me, and before that-”

“Okay, I get it.” Alexander frowns. “Well, not really, but, it sounds like the universe is telling you that Tyson’s in love with you.”

JT scoffs. “Maybe in other universes. Not here.”

“How do you know?”

“We’re best friends,” JT protests. “I can’t fuck that up.”

“But what if the universe is telling you that you could be _more_?” Alexander asks. “Is it really worth it to watch Tyson die for, what, the rest of your life? When you could actually be together?”

“No,” JT says immediately. “I’m just scared.”

“Okay.” Alexander flops onto the couch. “But you have to tell him. Trust me, he won’t be angry.”

“Uh huh. How do you know that?”

“Come on, you know Tyson. Even if he doesn’t feel the same, he’s not that kind of guy.”

“I know.” And it’s true. Tyson’s too nice a guy to be pissed over something like that.

“Tell him soon, though. For your sake. Promise?”

“Promise.”

Alexander looks satisfied by that, and the conversation moves on.

 

\---

 

JT doesn’t actually tell Tyson that day. By the time Tyson gets home from Sam’s, it’s already late.

He goes to bed nervously.

Someone’s pounding at the door when he wakes. 

He stumbles over, registering cold stone under his bare feet.

The door, heavy oak, opens with a creak to reveal Gabe and Mikko with Tyson between them. They’re all dressed like something out of Game of Thrones, or Lord of the Rings, or whatever--dark leather and steel.

Gabe and Mikko have swords drawn, Tyson wearing one at his waist.

“What’s going on?” JT asks, rough with sleep.

Gabe looks solemn. “You and Tyson have to go,” he says. “We’ve been betrayed.” 

“Hurry,” comes a shout from the end of the hall. It sounds like Nate, but before he can check, Gabe pushes Tyson and Mikko into his room.

“Get dressed and take anything you might need, but do it fast. Erik and Samuel are waiting with horses. We don’t have long.” Gabe turns and goes to join Nate.

Mikko throws some clothes at JT while Tyson packs a bag for him, throwing in anything that looks valuable along with some extra clothes.

As soon as JT buckles on a sword, which he desperately hopes he doesn’t have to use, Mikko says, “To the stables now. Don’t stop for anything.”

They don’t quite run, but it’s a near thing. Tyson takes his hand when Gabe and Nate join them.

“They’re in the city!” someone shouts, and that’s other Tyson running towards them. “They’re in the city,” he repeats, out of breath. When he sees JT and Tyson, he looks relieved for a split second, then he turns to Gabe. “Get them out of here now,” he says. “The prince and his betrothed would be too great a prize for Toews and his men.”

Prince? _Betrothed_? Oh, Christ.

The stables aren’t far. On the way, JT sees ruddy light coming through the window. He can smell smoke. The city is burning, he realizes

EJ and Sam each have a horse by the reins, waiting just outside the door.

Gabe checks the courtyard quickly before sending Tyson and JT across. Luckily, the body JT has in this universe seems to be conditioned to know how to ride a horse, because he swings easily into the saddle.

“You know where to go,” EJ says to Tyson. “Make sure you aren’t followed. Remember, don’t tell anyone your names, or-”

Before he can finish, a shout of “over here!” cuts through the sounds of fighting from the city.

“ _Go_ ,” EJ orders. “And don’t come back for us.”

Sam looks terrified, but he draws his sword anyway. Gabe and the others are long gone, into the city to join the fighting.

“Are you sure about this?” JT asks.

“No,” EJ says, then slaps JT’s horse on the rump to spur it into action.

JT twists in his saddle to see EJ and Sam face a group of men in red. The road they’re on is a long straightaway, giving him a perfect view of one of the men in red step out from behind the others, raise a crossbow, and send a bolt right into Sam’s chest. From that close, he has no chance. EJ, furious, launches himself at them, managing to take down two before he’s overwhelmed. 

JT turns away from the violence, stomach churning. He used to think he knew what violence was, playing hockey, but now he knows that hockey is just a _game_ compared to everything he’s seen.

He has to tell Tyson. But first, he has to get this Tyson to safety.

 

They ride for what seems like hours in silence.

Eventually, they reach an old wooden house, deep in the forest. It looks abandoned. Tyson exchanges a worried look with JT before they dismount and tie the horses to a sapling. There’s a dirt path leading to the door. Tyson goes first, knocking loudly. The wood seems to absorb the sound, but there’s a noise from inside.

The door swings open abruptly, and _Mat Barzal_ steps out. There’s a sparrow sitting on his shoulder and he has what looks like grass twisted into his hair.

“Oh,” he says. The sparrow flutters away, but Barzal keeps looking at them. “We’ve been expecting you,” he finally says. “Please come in.”

As soon as they’re inside, Tyson takes two steps forward into Barzal, who brings his arms up automatically in a hug.

“It’s all gone,” Tyson says, muffled.

“I know,” Barzal says. “That’s why you had to come here. We can help, but first I think you both need to rest.”

“We can’t _rest_ ,” Tyson objects, pulling back. “We have to help them!”

“Tyson,” Barzal--Mat, probably--says. “Compher looks like he’s dead on his feet. You’re no good to anyone like this.” 

 _Yes_ , JT wants to say. _Please make us go to sleep, I want to go home._

“I’ll take care of your horses,” Mat adds. “Tito can show you where you can sleep.” Mat steps back outside.

Of course Barzal would be with Beauvillier in this universe, too. From what Tyson’s told JT, they’re “disgusting” to be around.

Beauvillier appears in front of them, holding two cups. “Drink these,” he says. “Makes you sleepy.”

It burns a little, going down, but leaves a pleasant warmth sitting in his chest.

“Follow me.” Beauvillier turns and leads them into a bedroom at the back of the house. “Sleep here. If you need something, Mat and I are close by.” He closes the door with a soft _click_ when he leaves the room.

“Woods-witches are so weird,” Tyson says as he unlaces his boots. “Like, Mat’s my friend, but. Strange.”

Witches. Sure. JT just makes a noise that he hopes passes for agreement.

“As long as they can help us,” Tyson says, then curls up on the bed and promptly falls asleep.

JT sighs and lies down next to him. He brushes a hand through Tyson’s hair and whispers, “I hope you’ll be okay.”

He keeps his hand curled around the back of Tyson’s neck until he falls asleep.

 

\---

 

JT spends the next morning in a daze. Alexander ignores him, but Tyson looks kind of worried.

Finally, after lunch, JT texts Alexander from his room.

 _can u leave for a few hours,_ he sends.

_Oh shit_

_You’re doing it?_

JT just sends back _yes._

He waits a few minutes until he hears the front door open and close, then he gets up. 

Tyson’s on the couch, flipping through channels.

When he hears JT come in, he turns around to smile at him. “Hey,” he says. “You want to watch something?”

“Actually, can we talk?” JT asks. He sits next to Tyson and twists his hands nervously in his lap.

“Yeah, of course,” Tyson says. He frowns. “Are you okay?" 

“I have to tell you something.” Tyson must hear the urgency in his voice, because he sits up a little straighter, eyes on JT. “It’s going to sound crazy, probably, but I need you to believe me, okay?” Tyson nods. “Some nights,” JT starts, “I wake up in other worlds. Like, parallel universes. I’m only there until I go to sleep again and I never go to the same one twice. At first, they weren’t that different from this one, and I thought they were dreams at first. Then Kerfy told me he knows someone who’d done it. He said that this guy told him the universe was trying to tell him something, and everywhere he went had the same thing in common.”

“What was it?” Tyson interrupts.

JT shrugs. “Kerfy said he wanted it to be a secret. But I think I finally figured out what the universe has been trying to tell me.”

Tyson’s eyes are wide. “What is it?” he asks, hushed.

“It’s you,” JT says. “Every version of my life leads to you.” As soon as he says it, he feels like a huge weight has just been lifted from his mind.

Tyson looks floored. “ _Me_?” A flush spreads across his cheeks, but he doesn’t leave. Instead, he looks like he’s trying to suppress a smile.

Feeling encouraged, JT reaches and takes his hand. “Yeah,” he says softly. “I love you, Tys."

Tyson’s smile when he says it is, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing JT has ever seen.

“That’s good,” Tyson says. “Because I love you, too.” JT smiles at him helplessly. “I’m gonna kiss you now, and if that’s not okay you’d better let me know,” Tyson adds, moving closer.

JT rolls his eyes and slides a hand around the back of Tyson’s neck. “Come here.”

JT’s kissed Tyson in other universes before, so this kiss shouldn’t feel different, but it does. It’s the first one that makes him feel like he’s finally _home_.

They’ve been kissing for a while, Tyson in his lap, when Tyson pulls back suddenly.

“Wait,” he says. JT blinks up at him. “So we were both here, like, pining this whole time, but you needed, what, _zombies_ to convince you to tell me you love me?”

“Can we _please_ not talk about the zombies,” JT says. Tyson stares at him for a long moment before he starts to laugh.

 

\---

 

The next morning, when JT wakes up with Tyson in his arms, he doesn’t doubt for a second that this isn’t where he belongs.

 

_fin_

**Author's Note:**

> potential warning for character death(s): in a couple parts there are characters who die, but i say temporary because this all happens in parallel worlds. they're very much dead in those universes
> 
> same idea for the violence: hockey fight, zombies (sorry for stephen king crimes) et cetera
> 
> let me know if u think i should tag something
> 
> if you're not here for the warnings and actually finished this: hope you enjoyed! this was extremely self indulgent
> 
> feb 3 2019: edited this a bit to fix some verb tenses and also italics because ao3 fucked them up for some reason


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